What follows is a report on the 2003 Road & Track Sports Car Invitational. This year's event takes place from Friday, April 30 through Sunday, May 2.

Nestled in the hills above the foggy banks of the Monterey Peninsula, in the sunshine of the grassy highlands, lies Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. There, on the weekend of October 3-4, the Road & Track U.S. Sports Car Invitational races brought together a very interesting mix of racing. Herds of competition Porsches were joined by vintage thoroughbred FIA sports cars, outrageous Can-Am cars, screaming Minis and the largest gathering of historic NASCAR (yes, that's right, NASCAR!) stockers ever on the West Coast. This eclectic collection proved to be very exciting as the weekend progressed. With a wide variety of race cars to suit an equally varied range of tastes, the event offered something for every kind of vintage racing fan.

Compared with other annual events at Laguna Seca, the Road & Track U.S. Sports Car Invitational could best be described as intimate. The crowds were just the right size, with plenty of room to find your favorite viewing spot in the hills surrounding the track. The restaurants in nearby Monterey and Carmel were not overbooked. And everyone at the event seemed to savor the intimacy and relaxed pace of the weekend.

The trip to the races was gratis for three lucky Road & Track readers. They were finalists in a sweepstakes jointly sponsored by Road & Track and Mazda. The best part was that one of them would take home a new Mazda RX-8. As guests of the sponsors, their privileges included viewing the races from the R&T suite above pit row and taking hot laps in the Mazda pace cars. But for Michael Leddy, of Corte Madera, California, winning the RX-8 was the obvious triumph.

There were many winners besides the spectators and the sweepstakes finalists. The Road & Track Trophy for the car that we'd most like to drive was given to Craig Bennett of Brighton, Michigan, who brought an immaculate 1971 Lola T222 Can-Am car. From the red-and-white paint scheme to the huge Chevrolet V-8 bursting out of the ultra-swoopy bodywork, the car was absolutely stunning. To back up its appearance, it one the Can-Am race from pole.

Almost as raucous, and equally impressive, was the Lola T70 that won the race for FIA sports cars. In a field that included such extreme yet rare beauties as Alfa T33s and Porsche 908/3s, the big red Lola carved its way to the front to take the checkered flag. The Porsche Club of America was on hand with sufficient numbers to offer three classes of races. Two classes of 911s, in various forms, and another, more vintage class called "Klub Sport" that ranged from a standard looking very early 356 coupe to first-generation 911s to a few 914s.

The smallest field of the event, but in no way the least interesting, was the Mini Challenge, offering Minis from both eras, new and old. They came in various forms of preparation from a tube-frame early Mini with a silhouette bodyshell, to new Minis with only slight modifications, to a full-bore GrandAm Cup-spec racer. One surprise of the weekend was the two victories taken by Road & Track Senior Editor Kim Wolfkill, in a new Mini Cooper S with engine and chassis modifications by Mini Mania. Surprising in that this Mini was not the most modified, nor the most powerful. Kim's mount was carrying all the standard equipment for a road-going Mini, including air conditioning, power windows and airbags. Naturally, a rollbar was installed for safety. Kim had to work hard for his victories. In both heats he had to fend off another new model that was much more modified for track duty. In the first race, Kim benefited from the retirement of a faster, purpose-built racing new Mini, while in the second, he led from start to finish.

For many spectators, the highlight of the weekend was when the vintage stock cars took to the track. A huge field of brightly colored machines circulated the hilltop course, creating thunder on the sunniest of days. Said to be the largest gathering of vintage stock cars on the West Coast, it was an impressive sight.

Yes, for those who were there in the early days of racing, the Road & Track U.S. Sports Car Invitational had the feel of a meeting with just the right crowd and no crowding. And for those who were unable to attend, you can enjoy the photos presented here, and read the feature story by Bob Judd in an upcoming issue of Road & Track. The only way to enjoy it more, is to make sure you're in Monterey May 1-2 for next year's event